India, Philippines Expected to Sign Agreement on BrahMos Missile System in 2021

13 November 2020

Brahmos land based anti-ship missile (photo : adas)

The governments of India and Philippines are looking into signing an agreement regarding the BrahMos missile system during the planned summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Rodrigo Duterte in 2021, according to report by Indian newspaper Hindustan Times.

In line with the expected signing, BrahMos Aerospace officials are expected to visit Philippines in December to address remaining details regarding the deal.

“The BrahMos team is expected to iron out a few kinks and address some small issues so that the deal can be signed during the upcoming summit. Everything else has been worked out,” a source cited by Hindustan Times said.

Russian Deputy Chief of Mission at the Russian Embassy in India Roman Babushkin was also quoted by Hindustan Times during an online media briefing saying “all tests of contemporary versions are successful. They were carried out mainly to increase the range of this exclusive missile. We are exporting it to third countries beginning with the Philippines.”

BrahMos is a joint development between Russian Federation’s NPO Mashinostroyeniya and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO).

In October last year, Philippine Army officials visited Indian Navy Ship Sahyadri docked at Pier 15 in Manila. The Indian Navy warship is armed with BrahMos missile system.

The Philippine Army said that it is “interested in acquiring this type of missile as it will strengthen our coastal defense operations.”

Also in October 2019, the Army activated the 1st Land-based Missile System Battery (1LBMS Btry) under Army Artillery Regiment (AAR) in preparation for the acquisition of land-based missile system.

Moreover, the Army displayed a mock-up unit of the BrahMos land-based missile system for its two-day Philippine Army Technology Day 2019 in December 2019.

(Mintfo)